1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates generally to the field of firearms. More specifically, the present invention relates to firearm trigger guard.
2. Description of Related Art
Various firearms and other devices have triggers or actuator buttons that are protected from inadvertent or accidental manipulation by being positioned within trigger guards. One such firearm is the AR-15.
The AR-15 is based on the AR-10, which was designed by Eugene Stoner, Robert Fremont, and L. James Sullivan of the Fairchild ArmaLite Corporation in 1957. Today, there are numerous variants of the AR-15 that are manufactured by a number of companies. The AR-15 and its various related derivative platforms are used by civilians, law enforcement personnel, and military forces around the world.
The exposed portion of the AR-15's trigger is positioned within a trigger guard aperture of the AR-15's lower receiver. Typically, and particularly with forged lower receivers, the trigger guard aperture, when viewed from a side of the receiver, surrounds the exposed trigger on three sides. A one-piece trigger guard is typically installed to protect the exposed trigger from the open, bottom side.
The standard trigger guard is typically held in place by a pivot/installation pin being installed in a rear aperture of the trigger guard and a ball plunger or screw maintaining the front of the trigger guard in position.
In order to expand the area of the trigger guard aperture, to allow, for example, a gloved finger access to the trigger, the ball plunger or screw can be manipulated so as to allow the trigger guard to pivot on the pivot/installation pin. However, in order to allow sufficient space for the one-piece trigger guard to pivot, a gap is typically present between the pistol grip/lower receiver and the rear of the trigger guard.
Various devices have been created in an attempt to minimize or remove the gap between the rear of the trigger guard and the pistol grip/lower receiver. One solution has included positioning a piece of substantially rigid rubber within the gap. Another solution has been to create trigger guards that completely fill the recess in the lower receiver for receiving the rear portion of the trigger guard. Yet another solution is to create a pistol grip that extends to cover the gap between the lower receiver and the trigger guard.
Unfortunately, all of the known solutions result in a trigger guard that cannot be folded or pivoted to expand the trigger guard aperture.
Any discussion of devices, documents, acts, materials, devices, articles, or the like, which has been included in the present specification is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present disclosure as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application.